Graziano da Silva welcomed Sayedul Hoque’s participation at the meeting and noted that FAO’S cooperation with Bangladesh is “very successful”. Both agreed to further deepen collaboration between the UN agency and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock with a special focus on Climate Change and the Blue Growth Initiative.

The FAO Director-General congratulated Bangladesh for progress made in rice production and aquaculture, areas in which the country has a rich experience.

“We want to be a pilot country for Blue Economy,” Sayedul Hoque said in remarks made after the meeting. He referred to a technical cooperation programme with FAO on fish feed and fish seed which he inaugurated last month. “We need to address fisheries and climate change issues,” the minister added.

"Fish is crucial for food security. Bangladesh is the land of rivers and fresh waters, and FAO Director-General reassured me that the Organization will extend all resources for cooperation with our country," he added.

FAO is implementing over 25 projects in Bangladesh with a total budget of approximately 85 million US dollars. These projects cover several areas including agricultural productivity, livestock sector development and animal disease control and fisheries.